Egyptian artist Adel El Siwi’s work is known for his treatment of the human figure often portraying a whimsical narration and energy. In “Untitled”, the brush strokes, colors and figures come together in a swirl of a composition, layered on top of one another using oil and watercolor paint.

Between abstraction and figuration, Nazli Madkour’s paintings are inspired by nature and often feature Egyptian women. Exploring form through the thick applications of paint, she creates pieces that are textured and layered like in “Untitled” where she uses deep earth tones.

Using textile and printing techniques in her work, Suheir Osman is known for the art of Batik. This process, as seen in “Untitled”, starts with the ancient craft of cloth making, then proceeds to the batik the dyeing process where wax is used create places or shapes where the dye cannot reach. Afterwards, she creates a template that will print the geometric design. Inspired by ancient Egyptian, Coptic or Islamic civilizations, she creates contemporary motifs, repeating shapes through varied compositions, emulating ideas of the infinite or building on the past to reach the future.

Expressionist Mohsen Shalaan unleashed his emotion through oil paint, ink and pencils combining symbols and folkloric myths to ultimately create a surrealist experience. Reminding viewers of a film scene where the main character has a memory or flashback “Untitled” might serve as way to relate to our own nostalgia.

Well-known for his portraiture, the expressionist work of Safwat Abbas Fahmy gives viewers a feeling of drama. In “Untitled” the figure is composed at the bottom of the canvas with halo-like colors around his darkened head, while the white paint above him is crisscrossed, energetically layered by a thick brush

With textured material that imitates water, the mixed media work “Fish Migration” is a unique piece in the collection. Used frequently in both biblical narratives or as a depiction of daily life, the fish has many symbols such as prosperity, success, creativity and rebirth.

Integrating folktales and imagery from North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, Mohamed Abla has a unique talent for storytelling, while commenting on the social and political situations of the past and present. Aiming to engage his audiences, Abla feels that art is the key to bringing cultural and environmental awareness to people. In "Untitled," Abla narrates the story of the city with his bustling figures and urban architecture.    

Known for his figurative works, Wajih Wahba paints with a gestural hand. Smooth flowing brush strokes of velvety colors give his work a rich tonality like in “Untitled.” His expressionist style imbues emotion and the figures look as if they are deep in conversation.

Strokes of colors and lines come to together into forms creating an energy and movement in Naima Shishini’s paintings. Seen throughout her career, the expressive lines are almost calligraphic with a language of their own. The “Untitled” painting has an ephemeral and harmonious rhythm complimented with serene colors.

Considered one of the leading modern Egyptian artists, Gazbia Sirry’s career spans over 50 years and is characterized by an extraordinary versatility, emotional expression and use of color with vivid and bold brushstrokes. One of the most important aspects of her work is her ongoing commitment to social and political commentary. As a memorial to the Cana Massacre in South Lebanon, “The Innocents,” has a fluidity in its gestural lines that could evoke movements in a group of people

Creating work with a combination interests from social justice, the rhythm of music to religion and spiritualism, Hamed Al-Oweidy was a masterful calligrapher. He used each Arabic letter in all its malleable beauty to create modern forms and formats. Breaking with traditions, he was known for taking calligraphy out of the frame and even letters out of words.

Part of the Egyptian “Third Generation Art Movement” Fatma Arargi worked on defining Egyptian identity in art through heritage and the ongoing political and social changes from the 1950s onward. "Untitled" touches on her thematic of social change and populist movements like the intifada. Here, the group of individual figures carrying stones above their heads merges into collective power pushing forward through their struggles.

After being trained in a classical style of painting, Sabry Mansour began his signature abstract and symbolic style with predominantly female figures, night landscapes and symbolic elements. In this print “Our Village at Night”, Mansour has depicted women in different positions inside their houses. Using shading to create the organically curvy figures and architecture against minimal backdrops, he creates a stylistically mystical and serene landscape, exuding a calmness and spirituality typical to his oeuvre. Another edition of this print can be found at the Modern Art Museum in Cairo.

Painting expressive forms and colors, Assem Sharaf symbolically uses yellow to refer to earth & aggression while blue means serene & calm.  In this work, a narrative emerges as his figures interact and gesture in a natural, instinctual way. Painted with intuitive yet controlled brushstrokes, the poetic compositions seem to explore the depths of the unconscious self and its primal urges.

Characterized by a strong combination of impressionism and nativism with distinct Egyptian motifs, Gameel Shafik’s romantic and poetic work focuses on a central form with few surrounding details. His pictures often reveal reoccurring themes: the struggle between good and evil, animals as symbols of fertility; as well as relationships and the external forces that effect them. In “Untitled” the solid form of the woman holds a fish, a symbol which represents the good forces in the world.

Egyptian artist Helmi Eltouni is well known for his playful visual narratives, symbolic iconography and stylistic outlined figures painted in vibrant colors. Working with themes from Egyptian folklore and heritage, he also addresses current social issues. In “Gafnoho,” he is referencing the song by Abdel Wahab, where he is struck by her beautiful eyes.

In 1979, during his years in Beirut, Helmi El-Touni created a rare series of works inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, reimagined not as a childlike tale but as an adult allegory. Drawing on theater, folklore, and symbolic figuration, the artist transforms the familiar narrative into a psychological drama in which innocence, desire, danger, and power coexist. The wolf appears as a cultivated, almost courtly presence—dressed, composed, and seductive—while the female figure oscillates between vulnerability and agency. Through flattened space, bold color, and folk-inflected forms, El-Touni suggests erotic tension without explicitness, using myth as a vehicle to explore intimacy, pursuit, and ambiguity. Created against the backdrop of Beirut’s charged atmosphere in the late 1970s, the series marks an early and daring moment in El-Touni’s practice, where storytelling becomes a means of emotional, cultural, and symbolic inquiry.

In 1979, during his years in Beirut, Helmi El-Touni created a rare series of works inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, reimagined not as a childlike tale but as an adult allegory. Drawing on theater, folklore, and symbolic figuration, the artist transforms the familiar narrative into a psychological drama in which innocence, desire, danger, and power coexist. The wolf appears as a cultivated, almost courtly presence—dressed, composed, and seductive—while the female figure oscillates between vulnerability and agency. Through flattened space, bold color, and folk-inflected forms, El-Touni suggests erotic tension without explicitness, using myth as a vehicle to explore intimacy, pursuit, and ambiguity. Created against the backdrop of Beirut’s charged atmosphere in the late 1970s, the series marks an early and daring moment in El-Touni’s practice, where storytelling becomes a means of emotional, cultural, and symbolic inquiry.

In 1979, during his years in Beirut, Helmi El-Touni created a rare series of works inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, reimagined not as a childlike tale but as an adult allegory. Drawing on theater, folklore, and symbolic figuration, the artist transforms the familiar narrative into a psychological drama in which innocence, desire, danger, and power coexist. The wolf appears as a cultivated, almost courtly presence—dressed, composed, and seductive—while the female figure oscillates between vulnerability and agency. Through flattened space, bold color, and folk-inflected forms, El-Touni suggests erotic tension without explicitness, using myth as a vehicle to explore intimacy, pursuit, and ambiguity. Created against the backdrop of Beirut’s charged atmosphere in the late 1970s, the series marks an early and daring moment in El-Touni’s practice, where storytelling becomes a means of emotional, cultural, and symbolic inquiry.

A monumental female figure cradles a watermelon shaped like a pyramid, a potent symbol of life, fertility, homeland, and nourishment. The frontal pose, elongated form, and solemn expression recall ancient Egyptian wall paintings and Coptic iconography, transforming the everyday into a timeless, symbolic image of protection and continuity.

In 1979, during his years in Beirut, Helmi El-Touni created a rare series of works inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, reimagined not as a childlike tale but as an adult allegory. Drawing on theater, folklore, and symbolic figuration, the artist transforms the familiar narrative into a psychological drama in which innocence, desire, danger, and power coexist. The wolf appears as a cultivated, almost courtly presence—dressed, composed, and seductive—while the female figure oscillates between vulnerability and agency. Through flattened space, bold color, and folk-inflected forms, El-Touni suggests erotic tension without explicitness, using myth as a vehicle to explore intimacy, pursuit, and ambiguity. Created against the backdrop of Beirut’s charged atmosphere in the late 1970s, the series marks an early and daring moment in El-Touni’s practice, where storytelling becomes a means of emotional, cultural, and symbolic inquiry.